Nokia is going big with the whole Windows Phone thing, which is probably something to do with that infamous deal it struck with Microsoft last year. As part of the Finnish firm’s newfound love for all things Windows Phone, Nokia has now announced its first WP7 handset to be made available in the United States.

If the specification list is anything to go by, the new Nokia Lumia 900 is a beauty, and could well be the handset that the Windows Phone 7 fans have been waiting for.

Specs

Packing a 1.4GHz CPU, and support for AT&T’s LTE network the Lumia 900 has just about everything it needs in the speed department, especially when you remember how slick Windows Phone 7 is in its Mango guise.

All that power will be pushing pixels around the new 4.3-inch AMOLED display, which is a decent jump up from its little brother – the Lumia 800 sports a 3.7-inch AMOLED screen.

The two cameras are as we expected, with the rear-facing affair being the same 8-megapixel shooter that is inside the Lumia 800, and the front-facing part being there mainly for video conferencing duties rather than providing top-notch shots.

Data is taken care of by the built-in 16GB of storage, and the 512MB of RAM will see Windows Phone 7 remain nice and zippy no matter how many apps you throw at it.

Pricing & Availability

Nokia Lumia 900 will be exclusively available on AT&T in US in the next couple of months, with March 18th being tipped as the expected launch date by well known Microsoft enthusiast Mary Jo Foley. No official word on pricing or International availability yet.

This coming year is a big one for both Microsoft and Nokia. The two joined forces during 2011 with the aim of a mutually beneficial partnership. Microsoft needed a hardware partner it could push around, and Nokia needed a current mobile OS to adorn its impressive hardware. Just how that will pan out through the next twelve months could well prove to be very important for both parties.

We are expecting great things to come of the Windows Phone 7 platform though 2012, and we certainly hope Microsoft can give Apple and Google a run for their money in the smartphone arena. More competition helps all of us, and with RIM fading away, Microsoft needs to take up the reigns and keep the two runaway leaders honest.

The Lumia 900 looks like a pretty decent start!

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